Prehistoric Rock-Art Site of the Côa Valley\Portugal

  are situated along the banks of the Coa River, especially in the municipality of Vila Nova de Foz Coa. Other municipalities covered: Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Mêda and Pinhel.
Form a rare concentration of rock art consists of stone engravings dated Upper Paleolithic (22 000-10 000 BC ), constituting the oldest record of human activity recording on the world.




Examples of a rock painting and an engraving in Foz Coa, demonstrates very well that the words were not the only means used to comunicate




"There is something powerful in the myths that transcends both reason and the borders of a culture"








the myths give voice to the truth of our unconscious, embodying aspects of creativity, intelligence, sensitivity and history of a people. And that's clearly visible when comparing fossils of animals and monsters of ancient legends.




The rock carvings of Mazouco, located next to the River Douro and inserted in a magnificent landscape, is one of the most important vestiges of the Upper Paleolithic art in Portugal and were the first





The engravings are supported by vertical surfaces shale, with preferred exposure to the east. The size of prints varies between 15 cm and 180 cm, although predominate 40-50 cm long. The recording techniques are used to perforation and abrasion, which often coexist with the abrasion regulating the perforation. The strokes are broad, although they are sometimes accompanied by a lot of fine features, which served as a sketch or complemented the previous. In other cases, these fine features draw hardly noticeable ways. There are also filled with multiple prints dashes





In the Coa Valley are notable examples of Paleolithic art





The most represented animals are horses and bovine (aurochs). Exclusive in certain nuclei, they can also coexist with goats and deer. The animals appear alone or in combination, constitute authentic panels. The animals representations may overlap more or less thick, but can also be well individualized.





This and more are wayting for your visit to Portugal an Olden Ancient Culture